Data Modelling & AI Data Structure & Algorithm

Number of ways to make binary string of length N such that 0s always occur together in groups of size K

23 June 2025

0

Given two integers N and K, the task is to count the number of ways to make a binary string of length N such that 0s always occur together in a group of size K.
Examples:

Input: N = 3, K = 2
Output : 3
No of binary strings:
111
100
001
Input : N = 4, K = 2
Output : 5

This problem can easily be solved using dynamic programming. Let dp[i] be the number of binary strings of length i satisfying the condition.
From the condition it can be deduced that:

dp[i] = 1 for 1 <= i < k.
Also dp[k] = 2 since a binary string of length K will either be a string of only zeros or only ones.
Now if we consider for i > k. If we decide the i^th character to be ‘1’, then dp[i] = dp[i-1] since the number of binary strings would not change. However if we decide the i^th character to be ‘0’, then we require that previous k-1 characters should also be ‘0’ and hence dp[i] = dp[i-k]. Therefore dp[i] will be the sum of these 2 values.

Thus,

dp[i] = dp[i - 1] + dp[i - k]

Below is the implementation of the above approach:

C++

// C++ implementation of the above approach
 
#include <bits/stdc++.h>
using namespace std;
 
const int mod = 1000000007;
 
// Function to return no of ways to build a binary 
// string of length N such that 0s always occur 
// in groups of size K
int noOfBinaryStrings(int N, int k)
{
    int dp[100002];
    for (int i = 1; i <= k - 1; i++) {
        dp[i] = 1;
    }
 
    dp[k] = 2;
 
    for (int i = k + 1; i <= N; i++) {
        dp[i] = (dp[i - 1] + dp[i - k]) % mod;
    }
 
    return dp[N];
}
 
// Driver Code
int main()
{
    int N = 4;
    int K = 2;
    cout << noOfBinaryStrings(N, K);
 
    return 0;
}

Java

// Java implementation of the approach
import java.util.*;
 
class GFG 
{
     
static int mod = 1000000007;
 
// Function to return no of ways to build a binary 
// string of length N such that 0s always occur 
// in groups of size K
static int noOfBinaryStrings(int N, int k)
{
    int dp[] = new int[100002];
    for (int i = 1; i <= k - 1; i++) 
    {
        dp[i] = 1;
    }
 
    dp[k] = 2;
 
    for (int i = k + 1; i <= N; i++) 
    {
        dp[i] = (dp[i - 1] + dp[i - k]) % mod;
    }
 
    return dp[N];
}
 
// Driver Code
public static void main(String[] args) 
{
    int N = 4;
    int K = 2;
    System.out.println(noOfBinaryStrings(N, K));
}
}
 
// This code contributed by Rajput-Ji

Python3

# Python3 implementation of the
# above approach 
mod = 1000000007; 
 
# Function to return no of ways to 
# build a binary string of length N
# such that 0s always occur in 
# groups of size K 
def noOfBinaryStrings(N, k) :
    dp = [0] * 100002; 
    for i in range(1, K) : 
        dp[i] = 1; 
     
    dp[k] = 2; 
 
    for i in range(k + 1, N + 1) :
        dp[i] = (dp[i - 1] + dp[i - k]) % mod; 
 
    return dp[N]; 
 
# Driver Code 
if __name__ == "__main__" : 
 
    N = 4; 
    K = 2; 
     
    print(noOfBinaryStrings(N, K)); 
 
# This code is contributed by Ryuga

C#

// C# implementation of the approach
using System;
 
class GFG 
{
     
static int mod = 1000000007;
 
// Function to return no of ways to build 
// a binary string of length N such that 
// 0s always occur in groups of size K
static int noOfBinaryStrings(int N, int k)
{
    int []dp = new int[100002];
    for (int i = 1; i <= k - 1; i++) 
    {
        dp[i] = 1;
    }
 
    dp[k] = 2;
 
    for (int i = k + 1; i <= N; i++) 
    {
        dp[i] = (dp[i - 1] + dp[i - k]) % mod;
    }
 
    return dp[N];
}
 
// Driver Code
public static void Main() 
{
    int N = 4;
    int K = 2;
    Console.WriteLine(noOfBinaryStrings(N, K));
}
}
 
/* This code contributed by PrinciRaj1992 */

Javascript

<script>
// Javascript implementation of the approach
 
let mod = 1000000007;
 
// Function to return no of ways to build a binary 
// string of length N such that 0s always occur 
// in groups of size K
function noOfBinaryStrings(N,k)
{
    let dp = new Array(100002);
    for (let i = 1; i <= k - 1; i++) 
    {
        dp[i] = 1;
    }
   
    dp[k] = 2;
   
    for (let i = k + 1; i <= N; i++) 
    {
        dp[i] = (dp[i - 1] + dp[i - k]) % mod;
    }
   
    return dp[N];
}
 
// Driver Code
let N = 4;
let K = 2;
document.write(noOfBinaryStrings(N, K));
 
// This code is contributed by rag2127.
</script>

PHP

<?php
// PHP implementation of the above approach
$mod = 1000000007;
 
// Function to return no of ways to 
// build a binary string of length N 
// such that 0s always occur in groups
// of size K
function noOfBinaryStrings($N, $k)
{
    global $mod;
    $dp = array(0, 100002, NULL);
    for ($i = 1; $i <= $k - 1; $i++)
    {
        $dp[$i] = 1;
    }
 
    $dp[$k] = 2;
 
    for ($i = $k + 1; $i <= $N; $i++) 
    {
        $dp[$i] = ($dp[$i - 1] + 
                   $dp[$i - $k]) % $mod;
    }
 
    return $dp[$N];
}
 
// Driver Code
$N = 4;
$K = 2;
echo noOfBinaryStrings($N, $K);
 
// This code is contributed by ita_c 
?>

Output

Another Approach: Recursion + memoization

In this approach we solve the problem with the help of recursive call and use a dp array to check that we previously computed the same subproblem.

Implementation Steps:

Create a array of dp and initialize it with -1 to check that we previous computed the same subproblem.
Initialize base cases.
If computed then return dp[n].
Create a variable ans to store the final result.
Now recursively call the function first n-1 and second with n-k.
At last return answer store in ans.

Implementation:

C++

// C++ program for above approach
 
#include <bits/stdc++.h>
using namespace std;
// to handle large values
const int mod = 1000000007;
 
// to store subproblems
int dp[100002];
 
// Function to return no of ways to build a binary 
// string of length N such that 0s always occur 
// in groups of size K
int countBinaryStrings(int n, int k) {
     
    // Base Case
    if (n <= 0) {
        return 1;
    }
     
    // previous computed
    if (dp[n] != -1) {
        return dp[n];
    }
     
    // recursive calls
    int ans = (countBinaryStrings(n-1, k) + ((n >= k) ? countBinaryStrings(n-k, k) : 0)) % mod;
     
    // update DP
    dp[n] = ans;
     
    // return final answer
    return ans;
}
 
// Driver code
int main() {
    int n = 4, k = 2;
     
    // fill dp with -1
    memset(dp, -1, sizeof(dp));
     
    // function call
    cout << countBinaryStrings(n, k) << endl;
    return 0;
}

Java

// Java program for above approach
 
import java.util.Arrays;
 
public class GFG {
    // to handle large values
    static final int mod = 1000000007;
 
    // to store subproblems
    static int[] dp;
 
    // Function to return the number of ways to build a binary 
    // string of length N such that 0s always occur 
    // in groups of size K
    static int countBinaryStrings(int n, int k) {
        // Base Case
        if (n <= 0) {
            return 1;
        }
 
        // Previous computed
        if (dp[n] != -1) {
            return dp[n];
        }
 
        // Recursive calls
        int ans = (countBinaryStrings(n - 1, k) + ((n >= k) ? countBinaryStrings(n - k, k) : 0)) % mod;
 
        // Update DP
        dp[n] = ans;
 
        // Return the final answer
        return ans;
    }
 
    // Driver code
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        int n = 4, k = 2;
 
        // Fill dp with -1
        dp = new int[n + 1];
        Arrays.fill(dp, -1);
 
        // Function call
        System.out.println(countBinaryStrings(n, k));
    }
}

Python3

# to handle large values
mod = 1000000007
 
# to store subproblems
dp = [-1] * 100002
 
# Function to return the number of ways to build a binary 
# string of length N such that 0s always occur in groups of size K
 
 
def countBinaryStrings(n, k):
    # Base Case
    if n == 0:
        return 1
 
    # Check if the subproblem is already computed
    if dp[n] != -1:
        return dp[n]
 
    # Recursive calls
    ans = (countBinaryStrings(n - 1, k) +
           (countBinaryStrings(n - k, k) if n >= k else 0)) % mod
 
    # Update DP
    dp[n] = ans
 
    # Return the final answer
    return ans
 
 
# Driver code
n = 4
k = 2
 
# Fill dp with -1
dp = [-1] * (n + 1)
 
# Function call
print(countBinaryStrings(n, k))
 
# This code is contributed by rambabuguphka

C#

using System;
 
public class GFG {
    // to handle large values
    const int mod = 1000000007;
 
    // to store subproblems
    static int[] dp;
 
    // Function to return the number of ways to build a
    // binary string of length N such that 0s always occur
    // in groups of size K
    static int CountBinaryStrings(int n, int k)
    {
        // Base Case
        if (n <= 0) {
            return 1;
        }
 
        // previous computed
        if (dp[n] != -1) {
            return dp[n];
        }
 
        // recursive calls
        int ans
            = (CountBinaryStrings(n - 1, k)
               + ((n >= k) ? CountBinaryStrings(n - k, k)
                           : 0))
              % mod;
 
        // update DP
        dp[n] = ans;
 
        // return the final answer
        return ans;
    }
 
    // Driver code
    static void Main()
    {
        int n = 4, k = 2;
 
        // initialize dp with -1
        dp = new int[100002];
        for (int i = 0; i < dp.Length; i++) {
            dp[i] = -1;
        }
 
        // function call
        Console.WriteLine(CountBinaryStrings(n, k));
    }
}

Javascript

// to handle large values
const mod = 1000000007;
 
// to store subproblems
let dp = new Array(100002);
 
// Function to return no of ways to build a binary 
// string of length N such that 0s always occur 
// in groups of size K
function countBinaryStrings(n, k) {
    // Base Case
    if (n <= 0) {
        return 1;
    }
 
    // previous computed
    if (dp[n] != -1) {
        return dp[n];
    }
 
    // recursive calls
    let ans = (countBinaryStrings(n - 1, k) + ((n >= k) ? 
               countBinaryStrings(n - k, k) : 0)) % mod;
 
    // update DP
    dp[n] = ans;
 
    // return final answer
    return ans;
}
 
// Driver code
let n = 4,
    k = 2;
 
// fill dp with -1
dp.fill(-1);
 
// function call
console.log(countBinaryStrings(n, k));

Output:

Time complexity: O(N)
Auxiliary Space: O(N)

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Number of ways to make binary string of length N such that 0s always occur together in groups of size K

C++

Java

Python3

C#

Javascript

PHP

C++

Java

Python3

C#

Javascript

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